The Buffalo Bills are once again sitting on a hot start, and the numbers say their profile is as extreme as it gets.
Buffalo is 5-1 overall and in first place in the AFC East heading into its next game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Nov. 1. The big reason is Josh Allen, who has been delivering the kind of production that bends the shape of a season.
According to Anthony Dabbundo of The Ringer, the Bills are the only team this century to rank two full standard deviations above average on offense and two full standard deviations below average on defense through the first seven weeks of the year.
"The 2026 Buffalo Bills are the ONLY team in the 21st century to rank two full standard deviations above average offensively and two full standard deviations below average defensively in the first seven weeks of the season
top 2% offense and bottom 2% defense
Other teams close…"
Allen’s early-season line explains plenty. Through six games, he has thrown for 1,504 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. He has also been a major factor on the ground, piling up 48 carries for 240 yards and eight rushing scores.
That dual-threat production gives Buffalo a chance no matter the situation. As long as Allen stays healthy, the Bills have the kind of quarterback who can carry them into a deep playoff run.
The defense, though, still has work to do. Buffalo has time to clean that up, but the gap between the two sides of the ball is still very real.
Kickoff for Sunday’s Ravens-Bills game is set for 1 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+.
In Other News...
Bills Face One Big Question On A Maxx Crosby Trade
The Bills have spent enough time dealing with defensive inconsistency this season that any proven pass-rush help will naturally draw attention, and Maxx Crosby sits near the top of that conversation. A fit between Buffalo and the Raiders star has already been floated by CBS Sports Jordan Dajani, which makes sense on the surface for a team looking to lift its pressure off the edge and steady a unit that has had its share of issues.
Crosbys name carries obvious weight because of what he has meant to Las Vegas in recent years, even with the Raiders also trending in the wrong direction overall. The wrinkle for Buffalo is that interest is one thing and an actual deal is another, and right now there is no confirmation that the Bills have moved beyond the speculative stage, even as the idea keeps hanging over the market. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Trade Deadline Focus Is Narrowing Around One Real Roster Decision
With the trade deadline approaching, the Bills are doing what contenders usually do at this time of year: weighing whether a small roster tweak could help them keep pace in the AFC without disrupting what is already working. Lloyd Cushenberry, Mike Danna and Josh Palmer have all come up in the conversation as possible trade candidates, but the idea is less about chasing a splash and more about making one clean, targeted decision.
Palmer is the name to watch most closely because his role has been limited, which naturally makes him easier to imagine in a deal if Buffalo chooses to reshape the bottom of the roster. No trade has been reported yet, and the Bills still have time to let the market come to them, but the sense is that this is narrowing toward one real question rather than a wide-open deadline chase. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Face A Ravens Threat That Could Change Everything Sunday
The Ravens come to Highmark Stadium for a Week 8 meeting with a 4-3 record, and they bring one of the leagues most dangerous offenses with them even if the profile has been a little uneven. Baltimore has gotten strong work from Lamar Jackson when healthy, and the attention on Sunday starts with how much juice the offense can regain with the quarterback back in the lineup. Add in edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who ranks seventh in pressure rate among qualifying NFL edge rushers, and this is the kind of opponent that can test Buffalo in a hurry.
What makes this matchup especially tricky for the Bills is the way Baltimore has played in different parts of games. The Ravens have been much sharper offensively before halftime than after it this season, which raises the question of whether Buffalo can survive the early surge and then keep the pressure on once the game settles in. For a Bills team trying to protect home field, the challenge is not just handling Baltimores talent, but making sure the game does not tilt into the kind of rhythm the Ravens have favored most. [Read more 🡒]